As
the denizens of Arthur's Tavern in Greenwich Village undoubtedly know,
pianist Eri Yamamoto is one of jazz's most dynamic new talents. Her new
CD, Three Feel, gives the listener an idea of what her audiences are
treated to each week. Joining her on this trio date are drummer Ikuo
Takeuchi and bassist Alan Hampton.

Yamamoto's
singular approach to playing is evident from jump as she opens with a
fabulously dynamic and uptempo rendition of John Coltrane's, er,
Richard Rodgers' "My Favorite Things," the pianist's frenetic runs
driven by Takeuchi's passionate drumming.
"Hi-Sai" opens up deliberately with a dialogue between Yamamoto and
Takeuchi, until a brief plucked statement by Hampton signals the change
to a midtempo groove. "Velvet," written by the Hampton, is a
challenging ballad, featuring Takeuchi alternating between brushes and
sticks and Yamamoto playing with introspection, all of it glued
together by the composer's confident bass.

"Just
In Time" features fabulous trio work and a nice solo by Takeuchi, who
contributes the jaunty and humorously-titled "Frog Days Afternoon,"
which has more great bass work. "Two Feel," the ostensible title track,
opens with a plucked bass and drum dialogue and blossoms into a playful
blues. "Tibet Smiles" begins slowly, then builds to a quick tempo, with
more great bass and dynamic drumming by Takeuchi. The disc ends with
"Half Moon," featured on in a trio setting on Yamamoto's first CD, Up
& Coming, but beautifully performed solo here.

Yamamoto
penned most of the songs on this exhilarating disc. Her compositional
style augments her deft, inventive playing and fits her bandmates like
a glove. The prospect of Eri Yamamoto getting better isn't just
daunting, it's scary. But like boarding a rollercoaster, you look
forward to the thrill.

▼ Time Out NY
by Herbie Hancock

▼Time Out NY
8/2001

Single File: Eri Yamamoto Trio "Half
Moon"

(Jane Street)

(After
reading liner notes) From these notes, it almost sounds like she had no
jazz training before she came here. How is that possible?!?
Wow. I don't know anyone could get to this level in such a short period
of time, but me hat's off to her. It certainly took me longer than that.
This is her tune, so that means she can write, too. This is just the
beginning, and already she's found her own voice.

Herbie Hancock (Pianist)
Time Out, NY Magazine 9/27/2001

CD REVIEW

Eri
Yamamoto Trio Up&Coming(Jane Street)

How
long does it take to become a great jazz musician? Would you believe
five and a half years? That would seem to be the case with Eri
Yamamoto, a 32-year- old Japanese pianist who abandoned a budding
classical career half a decade ago to pursue jazz studies at the New
School. Yamamoto had no jazz background whatsoever when she arrived in
New York from Kyoto-something I can personally attest to, having heard
her stumble through standards some years back at the Loisaida bar that
is now Manitoba's. Saloon din tended to drown out Yamamoto's trio until
she started pulling out her originals, the attentive silence that
greeted them clued me in that fresh ideas were on the way.
Yamamoto's maturity is instantly evidence on the title cut/opener of "UP&COMING,"her
self-produced debut. The deceptively simple melody line demands perfect
timing, and Yamamoto raises the degree of difficulty by upending it
with a bridge in modified waltz-time. The way this impacts her solo is
particularly breathtaking: On one chorus, she applies single-note lines
reminiscent of Lennie Tristano; next, she alternates running trills
with off-kilter phrases; and finally - just before a bass solo by John
Graham Davis - she slides back and forth across drummer Ikuo Takeuchi's
supple pulse.
And yet that's only a small sampling of the pianist's breadth and
economy. The five originals included here are demonstrate an
extraordinarily rich compositional sensibility - to say nothing of a
delicate touch - and what's most impressive is how they outpace
Yamamoto's takes on classics like Miles Davis's "ALL BLUES" and Vincent
Youman's "WITHOUT A SONG." I haven't caught Yamamoto's trio since it
took up residence in the Village at Arthur's Tavern two years ago, but
if the album is any indication, the time she's spent at the
rambunctious watering hole has taught
her hoe familiarity combined with subtlety can move a crowd. That
understanding is crucial for any musician hoping to become a great
player as quickly as she has.

K. Leander Williams (Music Writer)
Time Out, NY Magazine 8/2/2001

ERI YAMAMOTO
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